For Immediate Release
Washington DC – July 31, 2008
Contact: (202) 547-3686
22 Taiwanese American Organizations Urge IOC President To Use “Taiwan” During Beijing Olympic Games Instead Of “Chinese, Taipei”
In a letter dated July 31 to Mr. Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the heads of 22 Taiwanese American organizations urge Mr. Rogge to accord Taiwan during the Beijing held Olympic Games the name it deserves: “Taiwan.”
Because of pressure from China, Taiwan has been forced for the past20three decades to participate in international sports events under th e English tit le “Chinese Taipei,” based on a protocol signed with the IOC. An agreement signed between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in Hong Kong in 1989 states that all sports teams or organizations representing Taiwan will follow IOC regulations when participating in sports events in China.
The letter was triggered by recent discussions in Beijing about whether the title of the Taiwanese Olympic team should be changed from “Chinese Taipei” to Zhongguo Taibei or “China Taipei. ” This would lend further credence to China’s irrational and unrealistic claims over Taiwan.
The organizations write: “We call on you to rethink the designation given to the nation of Taiwan by the IOC. We recommend that you adopt the straightforward and realist name “TAIWAN” in place of the outdated and denigrating moniker “Chinese Taipei.”
They continue: “Recently China attempted to further degrade Taiwan by publicly calling it “China Taipei.” This was in clear violation of the IOC decision of 1979. China’s nefarious act flew in the face of its own bilateral agreement with Taiwan of 1989 regarding the correct Chinese language translation of “Chinese Taipei.” Instead of being a gracious host of the 2008 summer Olympic Games, China is usurping its position to lay territorial claim over Taiwan.”
They conclude: “To ensure that the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” encourages fair athletic=2 0competition rather than sinister Chinese maneuver to annex Taiwan, we urge you to accord the island na tion the name it deserves. That name is TAIWAN.”
FAPA President Bob Yang, Ph.D. comments: “Chinese Taipei” and “China Taipei” are names concocted by communist China to further bully Taiwan in the international community into accepting that Taiwan is a part of China. It is incontestable reality though that Taiwan is not a part of China. It is therefore high time that the international community open its eyes and face and accept the reality that Taiwan is a sovereign independent country whose name is “Taiwan” – nothing more, nothing less”.
台美人呼籲國際奧委會主席於北京奧運上稱呼台灣，而非中華台北
22個台美人社團領袖於7月31日連署致函國際奧委會主席羅格(Jacques Rogge) ，呼籲他在北京奧運典禮上以「台灣」之名稱呼台灣。台美社團領袖們主要是有鑑於目前台灣國內就中華台北或是中國台北名稱的相關辯論，有感而發並進而發起這項聯署信函。
信中表示：「我們希望您能重新審視奧委會給予台灣的名稱。我們建議您 採取直接與符合現實的做法，以台灣之名稱呼台灣，而不是過時與有損國格的中華台北。」「近來中國一再稱呼台灣為中國台北，這是很明顯的違反國際奧委會1979年的決議。中國醜惡的行為與1989年簽署的雙方協定背道而馳。中國原本應是一個大方的奧運地主國，卻反而企圖藉名稱炒作，侵佔台灣主權。」
「為了確保奧運精神能夠鼓勵公平的選手競爭，而不是中國意欲併吞台灣，我們呼籲您給予這個島國她值得的名稱：台灣。」
FAPA會長楊英育表示：「中華台北與中國台北都是共產中國為了恐嚇台灣，脅迫國際社會承認台灣為中國的一部份所衍生出來的名稱。台灣很明顯地不是中國的一部份，國際社會應該認清並接受台灣是一個主權獨立國家的事實。」
